Rekha Mody - Founder

Rekha Mody, social worker and activist is committed to Women Empowerment, working
actively in SAARC & ASEAN Countries. A networking expert, she believes that collective
thought and action can move mountains. A firm believer in the fact that the role
and contribution of women will get even stronger in the future, she provides them
with knowledge, information and skills to overcome all challenges.

Apart from her social work, she is a connoisseur of art, a writer and social entrepreneur
with the experience of starting a FM Radio station in 1994 in Kolkata.

She is the founder of Divya Chaya Trust established in 1984, Habiart Foundation
1987, Stree Shakti - The Parallel Force 1998. She feels that women all over the
world are interconnected on various underlying gender issues. With this thought
she started the Global Women Forum in Singapore in 2010 aiming to network with women
from SAARC & ASEAN nations. Collectively all her efforts are aimed at Self Reliance,
Equity, Equality and dignity for women.

She has edited ‘A Quest for Roots’, a book of more than 300 posthumous biographies
of women from India significant in South-Asian history. It is an attempt to rediscover
and recount women’s histories that are inspirational and relevant even today.

Rekha Mody has also served on the Board of United Way, New Delhi from 2008 and Women
Founders Collective USA, 2006. She is also Trustee of Women International Trust.

Currently she holds the position of Vice President, Mahabodhi Society of India and
is actively highlighting the role and contribution of Women in Buddhism with a photographic
exhibition in national and international forums.

Dr. Aarti Saxena - President

Recognition: Awarded “Honour for Excellence” by Russian centre of Science
and Culture, International Federation of Indian Russian youth club, Gantavya Sansthan
and Women on Top, for application of best practices in plant sciences for the rural
areas in Rajasthan and Haryana. Associated with People For Plants and Environment
group.

Monica Lakhmana - Vice President

A Hotelier by profession. Monica Lakhmana founded the Women’s Leadership Network World, so that women can engage through broader networks. Her vision and mission is to provide women with a networking platform, where they can come together and share their learning. She hopes to see more women support inclusion and diversity, more women represented in senior roles. Her aim for WLN World is to develop and grow the number of women in leadership positions and the format is by providing participants with perspectives concerning various dimensions of development and to build cross sector networks, through learning.

Has set up a foundation, Monica Lakhmana Foundation with a vision “Empowering Women and girls through new learning experiences and skill development and ensuring their future”. To support women become self-sustaining members of their communities. The Trust is dedicated towards transformation of women who need support to change their lives for a better tomorrow and to honour women who have made a huge difference in their communities. She believes, that every one of us have the power to transform the lives of others. The Foundation is committed to the creation of a society that brings together women from around India and give them a platform to excel and support themselves gracefully. She dedicates her time with the hope that many of us take the initiative to add value to one more of us.

Is a Partner - My World - A UN Initiative : MY World is a global survey for citizens led by the United Nations and partners. It aims to capture people's voices, priorities and views. www.myworld.org. Is a Member - Global Board Ready Women : a global initiative to identify & promote Senior Women Executives & Professionals from around the world who meet the strict criteria, to create global & diverse corporate governance for the 21st Century.

A graduate in English Literature (Honours) and a General Management at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore. A Rotary Scholar to USA, an ex journalist and a recipient for an award for Excellence in Hospitality.

ML is a writer, an artist, a traveller, a photographer, she conceptualises and ideates new products. She is interested in debates, women empowerment, development of women, women issues, women studies and women ministry. Her Mission statement is “To make a difference, an impact in which ever role I am in and always to lead a balanced life. To be myself with a leadership style that works for me.”

Anuradha Dalmiya - Treasurer

1. Schooling at Modern High School for girls, Kolkata
2. Bsc. Hons. in Home Science from JD Birla Institute of Home Science
3. Post Grad Diploma in Dietetics from All India Inst of Hygiene & Public Health
and Advanced Diploma In Systems Management from NIIT.
4. Married with 2 children
5. Interests in Music, Gardening, travelling, current events, science and womens'
empowerment. Been a Streeshakti menber since 1985, seen it grow and evolve into
a contemporary organization while maintaining its stature and Standpoint. Am a easy
going, sociable and sometimes absent minded person, open to new ideas and looking
to enhance my knowledge and horizons constantly.
I feel all women have it in them to BE the change they want to see for their family,
society and our country.

Dr. Sarmistha Chakrabarti - Secretary

Dr. Sarmistha Chakrabarti, Assistant Professor in the University of Calcutta, teaches
Chemistry in the Food & Nutrition section of the Department of Home Science. A winner
of the National Science Talent Search contest, she did her Bachelors & Masters degrees
from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Ph.D. from the Indian Institute
of Chemical Biology, Kolkata and has had postdoctoral & research experience of about
10 years in the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich and Purdue University
& University of California at Los Angeles in the USA. Her interest in Women & Science
came from her tenure as Research Officer in the Women’s Studies Research Centre
of Calcutta University. She has papers published in renowned international journals
of Chemistry as well as those presented in conferences, the most recent one being
in Beijing, China at the Third World Organisation of Women in Science (of which
she is a full member) Fourth General Assembly.
Sarmistha Chakrabarti’s association with Streeshakti has been for the past 10 years.

Isha Patodia - Convenor Arts & Culture

Isha has studied at Loreto House and has a degree in Business Management from Brunel University, UK. A young Turk, she has International film making exposure and has been deeply connected with art via her gallery Genesis Art Gallery, with over 50 successful exhibitions, camps, workshops in India, Singapore & London. She has also launched a Luxury Management Company namely Bon Vivant. The world of fashion and art is merging and Isha Patodia is positioning herself on the cusp of this trend.

Isha feels strongly about women’s empowerment which can only be achieved by poverty reduction, democratic governance, crisis
prevention and recovery, along with sustainable development. She believes that through our global network, we work to ensure that women have a real voice in all governance institutions, from the judiciary to the civil service, as well as in the private sector and civil society, so they can participate equally with men in public dialogue and decision-making and influence the decisions that will determine the future of their families and countries.

Through her annual Fairs she aims to provide a platform for women in West Bengal who create Kantha embroidery for their livelihood. Further by supporting the Help Age India Art Auction she aims to support the elderly women in India.

Neeru Poddar - West Bengal Convenor

Winner of Priyadarshini Award for Promotion of Crafts , Neeru Poddar is a grass
root worker . She is a Trustee with Divya Chaya Trust and Habiart Foundation. She
has been a founder member of Stree Shakti - The Parallel Force. Neeru ji has trained
many women in West Bengal to earn their living through Kantha embroidery. She has
been very active with the Reproductive Child Health programme introduced in village
Podra near Kolkata in 2009. Counselling the under privileged is her forte.

Chitra Mudgal - Ex-President & Patron

"I have always written freely on the subjects I feel strongly about. My aim is to
depict reality as it is, not to paint one for the convenience of a reader's conscience."
- Chitra Mudgal

Rare is this amalgamation of gentle sensitivity, utter humility and such superior
intellect. Probably her solace with her wonderful self is the reason behind the
glowing radiance on the face of this 60-year old, which can put a thousand electric
bulbs to shame. Meet the multi-faceted Chitra Mudgal, a renowned and respected figure
in modern literature in Hindi, who is also a dedicated trade unionist, social activist,
virtual mother to slum dwelling women and, at the same time, a doting housewife
and mother. Probably it will be better to say that her wide spectrum of social work
and her unflinching belief in "humanism" defines the world-class writer in
her.

Dr. Purobi Roy - Ex-President & Patron

Dr Purabi Roy is a retired Professor of Jadavpur University, visiting Professor
of Moscow State University and St.Petersburg University, Russian Federation. Born
in July 1941, she did her Ph.D from the Institute of Oriental Studies. Russian Academy
of Science, Moscow.

She participated in various International Seminars and Conferences. As a research
Professor of the Asiatic Society, she published volumes on Russo-Indian Relations
XIX Cent, Indo-Russian Relations XX Cent. Part-I and Part-II. Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose Commemoration Vol. of Scottish Church College. She is the author of many articles
on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

She is a specialist of Russian Language and Politics. Presently she is doing research
on New Findings on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose - From Russian British German and
Indian Archives.